Sister Sinister is a Stockholm, Sweden-based alternative/fetish model and photographer. This interview/pictorial was featured in Sinical Domination. Print copies can be purchased here.

Sinical Magazine: What was the first alt/fetish magazine that you came across that made you want to become a model? If not a magazine, what inspired you?

Sister Sinister: The first fetish magazine I ever read was Marquis. It was so glossy and the quality was amazing, and of course full of sexy rubber girls. But I got inspired before that by beautiful ladies on the internet like Dita Von Teese (who I ended up wearing the same dress as she did for a Marquis shooting) and the Swedish latex model Elva.

Sinical Magazine: How did you get started in pin-up/fetish modeling?

Sister Sinister: I had camera fright and I did a shoot for fun just to test myself. The pictures turned out alright and I enjoyed the shoot since the photographer was so relaxed and fun. When the pictures ended up online on a photography platform I got asked to do another shoot and it kind of went on from there. I never planned on doing modelling but decided to give it a try since I got asked to shoot quite a few times. I had an alternative look at that time as well so I naturally started modelling PVC and more Gothic-style looks. I soon discovered latex and after my first shoot with it there was no going back!

Sinical Magazine: What do you think makes a model stand apart from others?

Sister Sinister: A great look is important, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have a great attitude and confidence in the photos. It’s all in the eyes I think. Another thing is professionalism. If you are being professional and giving your best while working with others you will most likely get booked again. Nobody likes divas or models with bad attitude who are complaining about everything. So all of this and also being able to laugh and have fun while working will definitely sets you apart!

Sinical Magazine: What has been the most interesting thing to happen during a photo shoot?

Sister Sinister: Oh wow, I’ve had so many funny and weird things happen during photo shoots they all kind of blur together. But one interesting shoot was during my New York trip when I shot for Von Gutenberg magazine. They wanted to shoot in an old abandoned prison that had police cars circulating it all the time. We had to wait for a moment when the police cars was out of sight to sneak in and out of the place, and keep an eye out so they wouldn’t walk in on us shooting because we’d all be in trouble then. And especially me since I was just visiting the country. Another funny thing was during one of the Dominatrix parties in Amsterdam. Kay Morgan and I were shooting with Stephane Roy in the hotel restaurant in the middle of the night, wearing tiny rubber outfits, when a group of people from an Arabian wedding, including bride and groom, arrived at the hotel. We quickly had to cover up with what we had and pretend nothing special was going on since they were quite conservative, and the hotel would probably have gotten in trouble if they saw that they were letting us shoot skimpy outfits in the restaurant. It was just so funny because we sat down at a table covering our upper bodies with our cardigans and tried to look natural, like we were just having tea and chatting but we were only wearing underpants and high heels under the table. I hope they didn’t see that.

Sinical Magazine: How do you think the alt/fetish scene has evolved since you started modeling?

Sister Sinister: It’s definitely gotten a lot bigger and also a bit more mainstream. There are more parties around the world where the people in the scene can get together and more models than ever. Another big difference is the social media platforms online versus the real world and magazines. Unfortunately, a few magazines that where around when i started don’t exist anymore because of the online world. And also the time that goes into maintaining the online platforms that used to go to photoshoots before, and all things related to them. There’s just so many more things to keep up with and do now everyday compared to before. Unfortunately, for many models starting out the most important thing is the amount of Facebook likes you have. I think that takes away the fun of just being creative and working with other artists. All of that will come automatically if you love what you do and focus on the shoots and shows and all the things you like!

Sinical Magazine: From a model’s perspective, what do you think is the most important aspect of a photo?

Sister Sinister: There’s a lot of things that has to work for a photo to stand out. I think the lighting is really important, and that the editing of the photo. But what makes a photo good or less great in my opinion is the confidence in the model. I like strong eyes and a pose that works well with the facial expression. Even if the composition or the lighting in a photo is bad, it can still be interesting if the model has great presence. But even the best lighting and technically great photo will fall flat with a model looking unsure or uncomfortable.

Sinical Magazine: Bizarre Magazine recently announced that they will stop printing issues, Peter Czernich of Marquis has stated that he is looking to retire from publishing soon, and Skin Two no longer publishes print editions. Do you still think there will be a market for printed alt/fetish magazine publications?

Sister Sinister: I’m really sad to hear that Bizarre Magazine will be no more. They gave me my first international cover and feature and they have kickstarted the careers of quite a few models. And the same for Peter Czernich, who means a lot to me since he was the first photographer I worked with in the fetish scene. Unfortunately, I think it will be less and less of a market for it as everything is found online these days. People like the printed magazines but they don’t want to pay for it. It’s the same problem with most creative jobs too, like modelling or taking photographs. In the end it just a lot of work for the people working with the magazines for example, but it doesn’t put the food on the table. Nobody can work for free. As long as one can find everything for free on the internet, or models and photographers working for free, a lot of great artists/people will be forced to move on to something else that will make it possible to pay the bills.

Sinical Magazine: The fetish clothing focus of this issue is on nylons. What is the appeal of nylons to you?

Sister Sinister: They are just so sexy. I love them for the smooth feeling it gives and also that they are so delicate. They cover just enough flesh and it’s just the most feminine garment I think and they really make me feel like a woman.

Sinical Magazine: Clothing wise, what are your fetishes and why?

Sister Sinister: Well, clearly I like latex a lot. I love catsuits and more covering latex garments, as well as corsets. Latex makes me feel like a super hero and gives me extra confidence, and a corset gives such an amazing hourglass figure. And no outfit would be complete without a pair of high heels. Especially since I’m very petite and need the extra inches.

Sinical Magazine: You often wear latex in your photos. Can you talk about your fascination with latex?

Sister Sinister: First of all, it’s tight and shiny and really looks amazing in photos. But other than that, it just makes you feel sexy. It feels like a second skin and it makes every touch more intense and it smells really nice. It’s also a pretty annoying material as it adjusts to the surrounding temperature and you’re often too hot or too cold, it rips and stains easily and it’s expensive. But at the sam time that’s one of it’s charms. It wouldn’t be the same if it was too easy.

Sinical Magazine: What are your measurements?

Sister Sinister: 34-23-33.

Sinical Magazine: What is your shoe size?

Sister Sinister: US 6. European 36,5.

Sinical Magazine: What type of music do you listen to?

Sister Sinister: I listen to a lot of different music depending on the mood I’m in. A few of my favourite bands are Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Anathema, Fleetwood Mac, The Dandy Warhols and Ršyksopp. For example. I listen to Rammstein when I’m cleaning the house which is very effective.

Sinical Magazine: Besides modeling, what do you like to do for fun?

Sister Sinister: Modelling, taking photos and editing does take up most of my time, but when I’m not doing that I love to spend time with my family and friends, read books and practice pole dance and aerial hoop. Watching movies and taking walks in the forest or drawing are also favourite things.

Sinical Magazine: What are some of your favourite books and who are some of your favourite authors?

Sister Sinister: I have so many favourites! But one book I read just recently that I highly recommend is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It combines most things I love in a good book and the way he writes really appeals to me. Some other authors I really like is Agatha Christie (I own so many of her books I’ve lost count of how many they are), Dan Brown, Sylvia Plath and Jane Austen.

Sinical Magazine: Do you have any other upcoming projects you would like to mention?

Sister Sinister: I usually don’t talk about projects before they are ready to be unveiled. But I have a shoot for a designer I haven’t worked with before that’s quite interesting, and I will be walking the runway for Am Statik at Dominatrix in March and the collection will be quite spectacular, for example. In a couple of weeks I will have a shooting weekend together with Psylocke, Miss Polli, Belinda and other people in Gothenburg for Lacing Lilith that I’m looking forward to. So keep an eye out for updates from that gathering. |